New part of Prague Ring Road gets start date

Part of the Prague Ring Road between the D1 motorway to Brno and D11 to Hradec Králové should start construction by the end of 2019. The Ministry of Transport recently re-evaluated the priority of projects and established a working group of government representatives and the city of Prague, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (ČSSD) said at a news conference.

“The construction of the [Prague Ring Road] is essential not only for Prague and Central Bohemia, but it is a strategic priority for the Czech Republic,” the prime minister said.

The section, known as 511, does not yet have a zoning permit or a valid Environmental Impact Assessment. All of the EIAs completed before the Czech Republic's entry to the European Union in 2004 are not recognized by the EU. Documentation for a new EIA should be completed in February 2017 and it should be followed up on by the Environment Ministry for another six months, according to Environment Minister Richard Brabec (ANO).

Prague Mayor Adriana Krnáčová (ANO) said the completion of the Ring Road is a key project for the city, and the lack of the finished road undercuts future development. Prague Deputy Mayor Petr Dolinka (ČSSD) said it is important that the impact of construction on the environment will be assessed for only the route that is the currently suggested by the plan, and that the fixed schedule of steps must be continuously monitored.

Section 511 measures12.571 kilometers and has four planned flyovers, at Dubeč, Uhříněves, Říčany and Lipany. The construction will connect the two highways, D1 and D11, and has two tunnels. The planned tunnel at Dubeč measures 275 meters and at Na Vysoké measures 372 meters. There are also seven planned sections of noise barriers.

The entire Prague Ring Road circuit is roughly 80 km, and only half is currently in operation. The entire Prague Ring Road (Pražský okruh) is now called D0.

Work on the first part began in the 1980s. Two sections, totaling 40 km, are currently in use. One goes from Václav Havel Airport Prague to the interchange with the D1 highway. The other is a 5 km stretch on the eastern border of Prague. The proposed new construction would link these two functioning sections.

In the meantime, part of the completed section is now facing legal trouble. The Supreme Administrative Court recently ruled that a southwestern section of the road could be closed. It has been in test operation since 2010 but does not have final building approval and all of the sound barriers are not in place. The court ruled that the trial period has been excessive. The road does not yet have final approval due to technical problems.